1. Field of Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and devices for performing vacuum assisted biopsies. More particularly, aspects of the current invention relate to methods and devices for performing vacuum assisted spring-loaded biopsies.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of biopsy devices having sampling needles as part of their structure are available in the medical field. Typical biopsy devices include those that are designed to obtain samples from hard tissues, such as bone, and those that are designed for sampling of softer tissues. Soft tissue biopsy devices can include a structure whereby a sampling needle resides within an outer cannula and moves relative thereto during sampling. In particular, the operation of the device involves extending the distal end of the sampling needle beyond the distal end of the outer cannula to expose and introduce a portion of the needle to the tissue sampling site.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,343 describes a spring-loaded biopsy device, described herein with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B. The biopsy device 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1A, the biopsy device 20 having a rapid firing mechanism within (not shown), which can include typical components that can be found in such devices, such as a handle portion 21 housing the operative mechanism components (not shown), loading and trigger component 22, outer cannula 23 and biopsy needle 2 partially residing within the outer cannula 23 with the distal end portion of the needle 2 exposed. Such biopsy devices can contain parts, e.g., the handle portion and loading and trigger component, composed of conventional materials, such as plastic or metallic materials. A profile of the needle 2 extending from the cannula 23 is illustrated in FIG. 1B, where the needle 2 includes a notch configured to collect tissue samples.
However, the samples obtained by the above devices generally do not fill the entire space enclosed in the notch within the biopsy device, and the collected samples are not as large as they could possibly be, which could sometimes lead to inaccurate diagnoses obtained from the sample.
There is a need in the art, therefore, for biopsy devices capable of obtaining samples that fill the entire space enclosed in the notch and that ensure the collected samples are as large and contiguous as possible.